GM and Toyota nearly tied for global sales title

Update -

GM reports 9.369 billion sales to Toyota's 9.366 billion


DETROIT -- General Motors today reported global sales of 9.369 million
vehicles in 2007, a total that would place it just ahead of Toyota Motor
Corp.

GM said its global sales rose 3 percent from a year earlier to 9,369,524
vehicles, driven by strong growth in markets outside North America.

Toyota, which was expected to have surpassed GM as the world's largest
automaker, said on Jan. 10 that it sold 9.37 million vehicles in 2007 but
did not detail the figure further. A Toyota source told Reuters today the
automaker finished with about 9.366 million in sales, just short of GM.

The close race might come down to how vehicles made by an obscure GM
partnership in China are counted. Last year the Automotive News Data Center
deducted vehicles from SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. from the GM total
because SAIC is majority owner of the partnership.

GM said the 2007 results were the second-best global sales total in its
100-year history. It was the third straight year with more than 9 million
vehicles sold.

Record sales overseas

" We set a record in China with more than a million vehicles sold. We nearly
doubled our sales in Russia to an all-time record of more than 258,000
vehicles delivered. And we set a record in Brazil with nearly a half-million
vehicles sold," John Middlebrook, GM vice president of global sales, service
and marketing, said in a statement today.

" This is the kind of emerging market growth that fuels our global
performance. Customers are responding to our fuel-efficient and dynamically
designed product lineup around the world."

The virtual tie comes at a time when Toyota has been growing in the United
States -- the world's largest market for vehicle sales -- while GM's
domestic sales have been slipping. But GM has been increasing market share
outside the United States, where sales accounted for 59 percent of its
total.

Since 1998, GM's global sales have grown at an average annual rate of about
1.5 percent, while Toyota's growth rate has been five times that.

GM's sales in North America -- its largest market -- fell 6.1 percent in
2007. Sales in the Asia Pacific region rose 15.1 percent led by China, while
sales in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East rose 19.4 percent, driven
by Brazil. Sales in Europe rose 8.9 percent.

Sales outside the United States were 5.5 million units.

Too close to call

Mike DiGiovanni, GM's executive director of global product planning, said in
a morning conference call with analysts and reporters that the race with
Toyota is too close to call.

" We're just focused on putting our nose down and trying to do a good job,
serving our customers and making the best products that we can. I don't
think anyone knows -- we don't know" who won.

DiGiovanni said GM is in it to win, but it is more important to run the
business profitably and not " get into trouble with too many fleet orders"
and big incentive sales.

" We think we're doing the right things to remain No. 1, and we're in it for
the long run," DiGiovanni said.

But GM's future growth is not in North America or Europe, he said. Growth is
in Latin America, Asia, eastern Europe and developing countries. GM is
focusing its growth efforts in those regions this year, while it continues
to defend the traditional markets, DiGiovanni said.

" We're hitting on all cylinders across the globe," DiGiovanni said.

Product mix won't change

Globally, GM's product mix will not change much this year from 2007,
DiGiovanni said. GM will remain capacity constrained in China and Brazil,
but it sees growth opportunities in both regions.

In Europe, GM plans to supplement its Opel brand by adding Chevrolet
products. GM's strategy to improve Saab's sales includes a new crossover
concept -- the 9-4X -- that debuted at the Detroit auto show.

" Saab will have a new crossover that will help them in conquesting new
customers," DiGiovanni said. " We anticipate that will do well for them
worldwide. We're very optimistic about that vehicle. It's a real opportunity
for them."

GM also will integrate Saab products into more GM platforms, he said. That
will help lower Saab's pricing and increase content on Saab vehicles, making
them more competitive.

In North America, GM's focus is on stabilizing its retail share, DiGiovanni
said. The big push this year will be on the new Cadillac CTS and Chevrolet
Malibu sedans to improve GM's sales in the mid-sized car category.

GM has other new products coming this year -- the Chevrolet Traverse
crossover and the Pontiac G8 sedan. Those will help lift GM's U.S. sales
too, he said. GM does not anticipate a big slide in U.S. truck sales.

" In the U.S. and North America, we raised our oil price forecast internally
about three months ago to be more aligned with what the prices are
currently," DiGiovanni said.

" So while we see some slight decline in truck sales, it's not much because
they've been replaced by crossovers, which are in the truck category. When I
look on balance, there'll probably be some slight increase in car growth
worldwide vis-a-vis truck growth, but I wouldn't see a significant shift."

GM leaders remain optimistic that the United States will experience growth
in gross domestic product in the second half of the year. That, combined
with the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates should help the country
avoid a recession. DiGiovanni would not release GM's sales forecast for
2008.

Reuters contributed to this report

We call it: Toyota topped GM in 2007

DETROIT -- General Motors had a solid year in 2007, with global sales up 1.9
percent from 2006. But it is now the world's second-largest automaker.

GM slipped well behind Toyota Motor Corp. in global sales. GM sold 8,885,599
total vehicles in 2007, while Toyota says it sold an estimated 9,370,000.
Toyota will issue an official total in about a month.

It was widely reported this week that the two automakers finished in a dead
heat for the No. 1 spot. Here is why: GM includes in its total 516,435
vehicles of the Wuling brand in China.

But GM owns only 34 percent of the Chinese company that produces Wuling
vehicles, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., a major automaker in China, owns 50.1
percent of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co.

Automotive News follows industry practice by including sales of only
majority-owned subsidiaries in an automaker's global total. For instance,
sales of Mazda Motor Corp. are not included in Ford Motor Co.'s total
because Ford owns 33.4 percent of Mazda.

So Automotive News subtracts Wuling-brand sales from GM's reported total,
arriving at 8,885,599.

So now we are down to a "numbers" game as to whom is the largest
automible company???


Most every news publications I read have GM with a very narrow (maybe
3000 units sold) lead over Toyota for the year 2007.


FWIW's that gives GM the lead for one more year, anyway.


On the inevitible day that GM does lose its number one ranking in
sales to Toyota, three things will happen:


1. GM workers will report to work. They will not have "gone out of
business'


2. I will continue to look as to what then\ next GM product I will
buy. (currently looking at the Pontiac G8, but whatever it is, it will
be a couple of years away!)



3. Jim Higgins will get his rocks off in a way he has never done in
his life!!!! (And, of course, announce to the world he has done do.)

coachrose13@hotmail.com wrote:

<...>


When has it not been a numbers game?

million?, billion? only diffence is a m or b

Just wondering:



There are a lot of reports as to how well GM is doing as far as sells
in China, Europe, Russia and South America.



How are there sales in Japan????



Surely GM sells, or allowed to sell (FARELY) automoblies  in Japan,
just as the Japanese are allowed to do so in the US!


Surely?????????????????

<snipped

Just wondering:



There are a lot of reports as to how well GM is doing as far as sells
in China, Europe, Russia and South America.



How are there sales in Japan????



Surely GM sells, or allowed to sell (FARELY) automoblies  in Japan,
just as the Japanese are allowed to do so in the US!


Surely?????????????????

************
Surely.  GM sells Cadillacs, Hummers, Opels, Saabs, and Chevys in Japan.  In
2006, GM sales in Japan were a little over 12,600 vehicles.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Ray O wrote:

Minimal. None of the US automakers sell much in Japan, except Mazda,
which is controlled by Ford, but mostly owned by the Japanese.

If you believe that, I have a bridge for sale


"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message

The sales figures I posted were from GM's web site.  Are you saying that
GM's web site does not provide credible information?
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

wrote:

12,600 GM vehicles sold in Japan in '06???   ONLY 12600????? Against
how many MILLION Japaneses vehicles sold in the US during the same
time period?


Something doesn't seem right here.


Does Japan believe in, and more importantly, practice FREE TRADE???

12,600 GM vehicles sold in Japan in '06???   ONLY 12600????? Against
how many MILLION Japaneses vehicles sold in the US during the same
time period?



That surprises you?  Look at the numbers on TV's, cameras, stereo equipment,
toasters, and on and on.  It has nothing to do with free trade, everything
to do with cost and ability.  Yes, there are other factors on the automobile
though, such as no room for big cars.

Is that why Toyota, Honda and Nissan have been making all of their car and
trucks bigger for the past ten years?  LOL

On Jan 25, 11:27 pm, "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom>
wrote:

12,600 GM vehicles sold in Japan in '06???   ONLY 12600????? Against
how many MILLION Japaneses vehicles sold in the US during the same
time period?


Something doesn't seem right here.


Does Japan believe in, and more importantly, practice FREE TRADE???

*********************
Some other automakers' sales in Japan in 2006:

BMW:    62,377
Daimler Chrysler:    100,718
Ford: 22,187 (of which 6,620 were Ford North American Brands and the
remaining were Aston martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo- 10,693)
Citroen-Peugeot: 12,684
Volkswagen including Audi & Bentley: 69,945
Total auto sales in Japan in 2006 were just over 5.7 million
Total auto sales in the U.S.A. in 2006 were just over 17.1 million, or a
little under triple Japan's sales.

The same automakers' sales in the U.S. in 2006:
BMW:313,939
Daimler Chrysler: 2,390,585
Ford:    2,901,090
Citroen-Peugeot: none
VW:    329,112

BMW and VW's market share in Japan and U.S. seem to be in roughly the same
ballpark, while the Detroit 3 clearly are not.

Japan used to have a lot of hidden trade barriers, but they have been
reduced in the past 10 to 15 years.

One of the Detroit 3's big obstacles to sales in Japan is they do not offer
many of their North American models with right-hand drive for sale in Japan
limiting their market appeal.  Another obstacle is that due to the lack of
space and high fuel prices, vehicles in Japan are taxed according to
exterior dimensions and engine displacement.  The Detroit 3's larger vehicle
dimensions and engine displacement in a given market segment make them
subject to higher ownership costs than the Asian and European brands, which
tend to have smaller dimensions and engines than their North American
competition.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message

Japan is a very tough market. For years the Japanese openly restricted
the importation of foreign automobiles. Later when pressured by other
countries, the overt restrictions were removed, but non-tariff
restriction remained in place (rules and regulations, inspection
procedures, etc.). These non-tariff restrictions made it difficult to
export cars to Japan. Foreign countries were prohibited from setting
up subsidiaries in Japan (i.e, no Ford of Japan) and foreign companies
were not allowed to buy the majority of a Japanese company (Ford's 35%
ownership of Mazda is about as far as you can go). Today Japan claims
to have an open automobile market, but open is a relative term.  There
are many environmental and cultural barriers that make selling
non-Japanese cars in Japan difficult. Very few Japanese are going to
be interested in low and medium price vehicles built for other
markets. Taxation and inspection policies make vehicles designed for
the US impractical in Japan. Because of the perceived difficulty in
selling non-Japanese products in Japan, few manufacturers have even
bothered to try. High end performance and luxury vehicles can be sold
in Japan, but only to the wealthy.

Over the years I have worked with a number of Japanese engineers on
assignment in the US. One fellow I worked closely with said that in
Tokyo it took him 45 minutes to drive 3 miles to work (if he drove).
When he came to the US for a 2 year assignment, he bought two cars - a
Honda Civic wagon for his wife to drive and a full size Ford Station
Wagon that he drove (ironically, the Honda was always in the shop, the
Ford never was - but his wife refused to drive the Ford because it was
too big). I was always amused at the car foreign assignees would buy.
They almost always bought something very big and very American.

Ed

C. E. White wrote:


<snip>

Isn't there something also about the US car makers not making the cars RHD
for the Japanese market?

Do they now make cars RHD since many have shops in Australia (Holden) and
other RHD countries?

 
--
www.perfectreign.com
linux - because friends don't let friends use windows
www.opensuse.org

The Japanese consumers are much smarter than Americans consumers.  The
Japanese prefer to buy from their own manufactures, even if they cost more,
to support their own economy and preserve jobs for their children and
grandchildren.   They only buy imported products that are generally not
available from Japanese manufactures.



American complain about manufactures sending jobs off shore to save money
but American consumers in their greed continue to buy from foreign
manufactures to save money and send jobs off shore.  If American did as the
Japanese and bought from their own manufactures first we would all be better
off.



In addition foreign products, particularly American products, are subjected
to trade restrictions and tariffs when exporting to Japan, while our tax
laws allow the Japanese to take the profit earned in the US, out of the US,
federal tax free.



Japan is not refer to as "Japan Incorporated" for nothing   LOL



In Europe all corporations are taxed the same without regard to the county
where they are incorporated.  That is one reason there are far fewer
Japanese cars sold in Europe, where they do not have the tax advantage they
have in the US

Mike hunt wrote:

Actually, Toyota, Honda and other foreign manufacturers own American
subsidies that pay state and federal taxes, just like other American
companies.

If I am incorrect about this, please show us the evidence that I am
incorrect.


http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/pdfiles/articles/KPMGtaxratesurvey.pdf  
shows that different countries have different tax rates.


Actually, Japan's corporate tax rate is higher than any other country.

The taxes are not on income, but rather, on profits.

And those profits are taxed at  a higher rate in the US than in Europe.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071114094727AAQwQ1C

Have a lovely day!

Jeff